Blessing
by lollygirl128
Summary: She couldn't say yes. Saying yes would allow him to go on a potentially suicidal trip to the River Styx. But she had to, or he could die later on during his inevitable fight with Kronos. She was damned if she did, damned if didn't. Wasn't she? Sally's indecision behind the blessing she gave Percy.


Blessing

**A/N: Ok, I just have to say this: Reviewers, I THINK I LOVE YOU. Thank you SO much for those reviews and ideas (especially _you, _Tibbitoo and coralie14), they absolutely made my day.**

**Ahem. Aaanyway, back to the story.**

**So I was re-reading TLO to make sure I got my facts straight, and when reading the part about Sally giving Percy her blessing, it said that Paul was still kinda wary about the whole Greek thing until he saw Mrs. O'Leary. But for the sake of this story and a few of my others, I'm just gonna pretend that Paul likes the idea of mythology being real and is eager about it. Sorry if you don't like it.**

**What you recognize is Rick Riordan's, what you don't is mine.**

"I'm worried about Percy."

Paul looked over at his wife from the dresser drawer he was rifling through, looking for clothes to wear today. She was looking at her hands, which were folded in her lap. Paul had known she was worried for her son, but for her to voice it was new, almost frightening.

He closed the drawer he had been looking in and sat next to her on the bed, unfolding her hands and rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. "This might seem like a dumb question, but, why?"

Sally smiled a little at her husband's attempt at a joke. "It's not a dumb question, Paul. It's just… something's coming, I can tell. He's told us about the Titans; at least, a watered down version of the threat that they pose. But I just feel like there's more, something to do with Percy. But I don't know what. And it's not like I can get him to tell us the whole truth, he's afraid to scare us."

Paul nodded, a crease forming between his eyebrows. "I know what you mean. It seems like every time he tells us something, he won't look us right in the eye, you know? Not in a sneaky way, but more like looking at us will make it… worse, or something."

Sally sighed. "Yeah. He's been doing that ever since he came home from his first quest. Like he's scared he'll frighten me off, or that I'll keep him from going back to camp." She gave a short, humorless chuckle. "He doesn't seem to realize that I was scared all his life, until he started going to camp. I know he's safest there."

"Well, maybe it's not that he's worried that you won't let him go back to camp, it's that you'll disapprove of how little he's actually at camp, and how often he's on life-risking quests."

Sally smiled a little at Paul again. "You talk about this like you've been around it all your life, and it's totally normal."

Paul smiled at her in earnest. "Well, I definitely wouldn't say _normal_…"

Sally laughed and shook her head. Paul kissed his wife's hair. Suddenly, they both heard what sounded like someone snapping their fingers once, only it was loud and soft at the same time and coming from the living room. Sally and Paul both stood up and ran to the bedroom door, which Paul opened to find a mass of black… hair?

"Who put this wall of fur in the doorway?" Paul yelled.

That didn't bother Sally. "Percy? Are you here? Are you all right?" She yelled into the blocked doorway.

"I'm here!" They heard him call out, but it was muffled.

"WOOF!" They heard, and it seemed to come from the mass of fur. Suddenly, Paul noticed that the fur was moving, like it was breathing. Or maybe panting was a better word.

Then the fur started wriggling, moving around in the hall and knocking picture frames from the wall.

"Oh," Sally said quietly. "It's Mrs. O'Leary, I should've known!" she chuckled a little and patted the fur.

Mrs. O'Leary then moved in such a way the allowed a gap between her and the wall that was big enough for Sally and Paul to walk through. They both ran through the opening while it was still there and got to the living room, where they found Percy and Nico di Angelo standing in the living room. Percy looked excited to see his family and apologetic for the furniture that was currently being ruined by the giant dog. Nico just looked uncomfortable at being there.

"Let's go in the kitchen," Percy offered, and Sally and Paul followed him and Nico through the door to the kitchen table. Everyone but Paul sat down, while he got four cups and a pitcher of lemonade for the table.

Sally broke the silence. "So why are you two here? After Rachel told us you had to leave, we figured you would stay at camp for the summer."

"Well… I did go to camp, but…" Percy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess I should explain everything."

So Percy told his mom and step-dad everything about Typhon, and the gods, and the battle that was on its way. Then he paused and looked at Nico. Nico nodded his agreement and Percy looked back up at his parents.

"Nico has a plan. Do you remember the story of Achilles?"

Both of Percy's parents nodded. "His mother dipped him in the river Styx but kept his heel out of the river, so that everything but his heel was invulnerable. Then a stray arrow hit his weak spot in battle, and he died," Paul stated.

Percy grimaced, but he and Nico nodded. "Right. Well, Nico's plan is for me to swim in the river Styx so that I can be invulnerable during the fight with Kronos. The only thing is, I need my mother's blessing." Percy looked to his mom with apprehension.

Sally was gripping her lemonade and watching it. She knew that everyone in the room was watching her. She took a deep breath. "Percy, it's dangerous. Even for you."

Percy sighed. "I know, mom. I could die." Sally clenched her eyes shut, trying to ward off the pictures in her mind of her son, limp and unmoving, eyes open but not seeing. Nico and Paul were discussing what would happen if Percy didn't go through with this, but she wasn't listening. She was thinking about Percy, her son. Her son, who was asking her for permission to go on a potentially suicidal trip to the underworld. She couldn't say yes.

She noticed Nico was talking to her now. Her mind went on autopilot, registering the words he was speaking but not deeply enough for Sally to contemplate them. She gave an automatic, I'm-not-agreeing-with-you reply.

Then Percy was pleading for her to see it from his point of view.

She wouldn't say yes.

Suddenly, Paul put his hand over hers. She looked down at it, then up to his eyes. He was looking at her with eyes full of love.

"Sally," he began, "I can't claim to know what you and Percy have been going through all these years. But it sounds to me… It sounds like Percy is doing something noble. I wish I had that much courage."

Sally looked at her husband for a few moments longer, then down to her lemonade. She fought back tears and watched the ice in her cup slowly, _very_ slowly, melt into her lemonade. She watched the clear water roll of the ice, then swirl into the lemonade. It calmed her enough to think.

Percy _was_ doing something noble. 'Of course he is,' she thought, 'it's Percy.'

And, in the long run, this would only be beneficial. He was going to fight in a war either way, but it was up to her whether or not he was vulnerable while leading his small army. She looked up into Percy's eyes.

"Percy, I give you my blessing."

Percy held her gaze for a moment, sending her his love and thanks though his eyes. Then he looked at Nico.

Nico looked more anxious than before, but he nodded. "It's time."

Nico and Percy stood to leave. Sally and Paul stood as well. They exchanged a few last minute words and reassurances. Sally gave her son her cell phone, even though she knew the risks, and he took it at her insistence. He promised her that if he survived his fight with Kronos, he would send her a signal. Something blue.

Sally gave her son a hug. She tried not to feel like she was saying goodbye. When she let go, he went to Paul and shook his hand. Then he and Nico left with Mrs. O'Leary. That was when she finally let out her pent-up sob.

She covered her mouth immediately and closed her eyes, and Paul walked to her side and wrapped his arms around her. He put his lips to her hair and whispered things to her like "It'll be alright, he's strong" and "You'll see him soon" and "I love you".

Sally tried with all her might to concentrate on the words he was saying, and her love for her husband. Because she didn't want to wonder whether she had just saved her son's life, or sentenced him to death.

**A/N II: Well. That got sadder than I thought it would. Anyway, reviews, anyone?**


End file.
